I was walking along a busy sidewalk, maybe in Austin but, it really could have been anywhere. I walked among all these people going here and there carrying on with their busy lives. In the doorways and just sitting on the ground were the homeless; the broken and hated people that all other human beings deem worthless. They are the lepers of our society and if we even make eye contact we are infected to the core with some sickness that makes us like them.
My heart aches and I can’t help but weep, how can I save them all, there are so many.
One man approaches me, the smell reaching me long before he does. His teeth are rotten and he’s missing a few in the front.
He asks me if I can spare some change.
I look him in the eye and ask him if he would like something to eat. He says he would but, just a little change would do.
I point to the deli nearby and ask him to walk with me. At the deli he waits as I approach the door. “Come inside with me” I say to him. He looks worried but, I reassure him and we walk inside. “What would you like to eat” I say as I turn to look at him. He has such a scared look on his face. The lines of age and the dirt and grime of the hard life he has lived, it breaks my heart.
He picks something and I make it a meal and order for myself – no one likes to eat alone.
He goes to the rest room to was his hands and comes back. I ask him to choose a table and I get our food and we sit.
I look at him in the eye and ask him if he knows anything about God or Jesus Christ. He says a little bit.
I said ok and that I wanted to talk to him for a little it while we ate.
I tell him that God created us and Jesus was beaten by us. But, even tho we beat him, and it was not a light beating by any means, He did it for us. Do you know why?
No, he says.
Because, that beating that He took was so that we – you, me and everyone that has come before us and everyone that is born each and every day – will never EVER have to be sick: mentally or physically. He took that beating to keep us from that because do you know what sickness is?
Well, it’s when you’re not healthy, he says with a congested laugh.
I smile at him and say “yea, true, but not just that.”
Sickness is death, albeit in an early stage, and it could be something simple like a cold, still if you let it go it can grow into something much worse and it can kill you. So sickness is death. Now, Jesus also after being beaten beyond recognition, He then was forced to walk carrying the huge cross that He was ultimatley going to be hung up on.
Jesus had lost so much blood and didn’t even look like a man when He got to the place where He was hung on the cross. He hung up there and eventually let Himself die.
But, He conquered death. He rose up and left His tomb where He was buried. He beat death. And He did that for us; so that we would NEVER have to die. No one should have to die. We are to live forever with Him on this earth.
I believe this with everything that I am and the reason I’m telling you this is because you don’t have to hurt. You can be healed and Jesus will do it.
A few days ago I stopped smoking and I haven’t had a craving since, not one. No pain, no withdrawal, no anger or anything.
Jesus is LIFE and that’s what He deals in – LIFE. Period.
No one should have to suffer from anything – ever. Period.
When He was here on earth He went around and healed everyone – He didn’t pick and choose – everyone. When He took that beating, it was for Everyone, not just for this guy and not that guy over there. No, it doesn’t work that way. What kinda God would do that? One that wouldn’t be worth believing in. If He created us but then said well, you are gonna be healthy mary jane and grow up and have a great life. But, you Jessie, you are gonna be a cripple and you are just gonna have a crappy life. Sorry, just the way it is.
Nope, doesn’t work that way. You know why some people are sick? Because Satan deals in death; sickness; physical ailments so that our lives suck to no end. So that we curse God and blame Him for all that crap that comes our way. And Satan loves it. He loves it. That what he does because he hates us. He hates us so much that he will do whatever it takes to make our lives hell.
He lies to us everyday all the time and makes us believe that God hates us, that we are worthless and that no matter what we are going to die so what does it matter.
You think like that and he’s gotcha. I thought that way for a long time. But, it just can’t possibly be true. What would be the point?
He looked at me and smiled. – And I woke up.